Jiang Nanfang opened the door and stepped aside, letting Zhan Beijue enter.
Seeing the children's clothes in his hand, she thought: He's quite proactive. After being a father for a few days, he's gained experience and even knows to bring clothes for the children.
"Don't worry. It's so late, I won't run off with them in the middle of the night."
"It's late, go see them quickly, and then hurry back. I need to rest."
She stood by the door, ushering Zhan Beijue out.
Zhan Beijue had eaten only half his dinner because of Gong Beibei, and had gotten into a fight upon arrival.
After being sent home, he was lectured again by his mother, making his entire evening extremely vexing.
He never expected Jiang Nanfang to rush him out the moment he entered.
Were all women such incompatible beings to him?
He shot her an annoyed glance, placed the clothes on the coffee table, and sat down on the sofa.
"If I'm not mistaken, the house was provided by the Zhan Corporation. You're living in my house and yet you're kicking me out. Where do you get off?"
Jiang Nanfang: "...Although the house was provided by the Zhan Corporation, once it's given to me, I have the right to speak."
"As a single woman, late at night, shouldn't I ask a man to leave?"
She was indeed a single woman. But they were already so familiar in that regard, there was no need to be discreet.
What was the point of hiding things from him and pretending to be pure?
Zhan Beijue glanced at her sideways, took out his cigarette case, shook out a cigarette, and held it in his mouth.
"Do you have a lighter? Give me one."
He patted his pockets; the lighter had been knocked out of his hand during the fight.
He was wearing his usual black shirt.
The sleeves were neatly folded up to his elbows.
As he moved to take out the cigarette, Jiang Nanfang clearly saw a dried bloodstain snaking along his forearm.
Seeing that he seemed unconcerned, as if he didn't even know it was there.
Jiang Nanfang instinctively asked, "Did you get into a fight? Doesn't your arm hurt?"
With the cigarette in his mouth, Zhan Beijue lowered his gaze and glanced at his arm.
His scruffy handsomeness was reminiscent of Andy Lau in Hong Kong dramas.
"It's just a small injury, nothing serious. Where's the lighter?"
Jiang Nanfang felt an inexplicable pang of sourness: "After playing the hero, you can't even provide a lighter? You came all this way to ask me for one?"
"I don't smoke. Why would I keep lighters at home?"
This damn woman. She never spoke to him properly.
She always had this arrogant air about her. Did her dictionary even contain the words "gentle" and "considerate"?
Zhan Beijue's mood had soured considerably. He gave her a cold glare.
"If you don't have one, why don't you go buy one? Do you still want to see the children in the future?"
"..." She knew he'd just use the children to threaten her.
Jiang Nanfang cursed him internally for being classless, but outwardly, for the sake of peace, she turned and left.
Zhan Beijue sat on the sofa for a few seconds, then took out his cigarette, pushed open the door, and went into the room.
A dim floor lamp was left on in the room. In the dim light, he could see the two little ones lying in the clean, soft quilts, sleeping peacefully and sweetly.
Their features were so soft, their skin so smooth, their sleeping postures so adorable. The children were so charming that Zhan Beijue felt his heart soften with just a glance.
He stood by the bed, gazing for a few seconds, then couldn't resist lowering his head to kiss each of them.
He didn't know if it was his stubble that was a bit prickly, but a kiss woke his daughter up.
"Daddy." Ge'er opened her eyes and softly hugged his neck with her little hands.
"Is it you, Daddy?"
Zhan Beijue gently patted her and whispered in a soothing voice, "It's me, my darling. I'm sorry, I woke you up."
"Where did you go just now? I couldn't find you, I was so worried."
"Daddy, don't go. Please don't ever leave me and brother again, okay?"
He hadn't expected the children to be so worried after he'd been gone for a little while.
Seeing his children still thinking of him while half-asleep, Zhan Beijue felt a mix of bitterness and sweetness.
"Okay, my darling, be good, go back to sleep. Daddy won't leave, I'll stay here with you."
"Mommy, don't go either. We like Mommy and Daddy to be with us together. Don't let Mommy go."
Ge'er was so soft and vulnerable at this moment, seeming to lack a sense of security. How could Zhan Beijue refuse her?
"Okay. I'll do as you say, I won't leave, and I won't let Mommy leave."
"Daddy is so good." Ge'er pouted her lips and kissed his cheek again.
"Then I'll go back to sleep. You be good and go find Mommy."
When Jiang Nanfang returned, Zhan Beijue was standing by the window, facing the wind.
He seemed lost in thought, his tall back wrapped in the black shirt, gently swaying in the night breeze.
In the quiet of the night, it gave one a sense of loneliness.
Jiang Nanfang stole a couple of extra glances at his handsome back before walking over.
"Here, the lighter you wanted."
Zhan Beijue didn't take it. With the cigarette in his mouth, he tilted his head, as if expecting her to light it for him.
Ha, he was too used to being a master, thinking everyone was his servant.
He needed someone else to light his cigarette?
Jiang Nanfang rolled her eyes at him and produced a flame.
After the cigarette was lit, Zhan Beijue slowly turned his head and exhaled the smoke towards the window.
His handsome profile, combined with the distant myriad of lights, made Jiang Nanfang suddenly want to take out her phone and snap a picture.
No!
Why was she looking at his face so much today?
Was he heartbroken? Why was he acting so strange from head to toe?
To prevent herself from overthinking, Jiang Nanfang tucked the lighter into his trouser pocket.
"I'm going to tidy up and go to bed. When do you plan on leaving?"
"How is Jiang Zhenjun's situation being handled?"
She asked him when he was leaving, and he countered with a question about Jiang Zhenjun?
He said he wasn't going to bother.
She guessed he had forgotten to close the computer when he left earlier and had seen the news report.
Jiang Nanfang turned and walked to the table, closing the computer.
"It doesn't matter how it's handled. It will be handled without you. You don't need to ask."
"I'm going to take a shower. Remember to close the door when you leave."
With that, she took the computer and went into the guest bedroom.
A moment later, the sound of rushing water could be heard from the bathroom.
After finishing his cigarette, Zhan Beijue closed the window and also walked towards the bathroom door.
The door was unlocked, and it opened with a gentle push.
Jiang Nanfang was pouring water over herself when she felt a gust of wind. She opened her eyes to see him.
"Ah! You're going to kill me, Zhan Beijue! You know I'm bathing and you still come in, what do you want?"
"You didn't lock the door, weren't you inviting me in to keep you company?"
Zhan Beijue extended his arm in front of her and rinsed the bloodstains on his arm with warm water.
"To prevent you from plotting against my children while I'm away, I'm not leaving tonight."
Jiang Nanfang awkwardly covered herself: "What are you doing?"
"Taking a shower. I'm tired. If you think I'm superfluous here, you can leave."
"...You are indeed superfluous! Have some shame! Even if you need to shower, at least wait until I'm out..."
"Can't." He unbuttoned his shirt. "If you want to keep your face, you can leave now. I won't stop you."
Jiang Nanfang still had body wash on her. Otherwise, faced with this situation, she really should have turned and run.
There was no other option.
Even with him watching her, she could only close her eyes and speed up.
"Zhan Beijue, you, the president of a prestigious corporation, are repeatedly acting shamelessly in front of your ex-wife, showing absolutely no grace."
Zhan Beijue: "Grace is shown to ladies. Are you a lady?"
"..."